Rotary internal-combustion engine.



J. F. LEVERING.

ROTARY I NTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION man APR. l, 1914.`

Patented May 4, 1915.

1. F. LEVERING. V ROTARYINTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE g-ggso APPLICATIONFILED APR. I, 1914. Patented'May 4:, 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

ATTORNEYS mechanical forms JAMES F. LEVERING,V OF CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

l ROTARY,INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

masses.

To all lwhom t may concern Befit known that I," JAMES F. LEVERING, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chester, in the county ofDelaware, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful RotaryInternal-Combustion Engine, of which the following is a specication.

My invention consists of a rotary internal combustion engine in whichrotary motion is imparted to a shaft from pistons in a number ofradially arranged cylinders revolved concentrically with and around suchshaft.

It further consists of improvedmeans for admitting fuel into andexhausting spent gas from the cylinders insuch an engine.

ltfurther consists of improved means for connecting the piston-rods inthe cylinders of such engine to the crank.

It further consists of improved means for revolving the radiatingcylinders from the central shaft to be successively charged andexhausted.

It further consists of other novel features of construction, all as willbe hereinafter set forth:

The-annexed drawing and the following description set Yforth in detailonel mechanical form embodying the invention, such detail `constructionin which the theinvention may be used.

In said annexed drawings Figure 1 represents a side elevation yof myrotary internal combustion engine with onehead removed. Fig. 2represents an edge viewof such engine with portions brol'en awayandillustrated in section. Fig. 3 represents a section of the engine.'`Fig.l 4 represents a sideview of the rotary cylinder-frame. Fig. 5represents an axial section of the same. Fig. 6 represents aside view ofthe annular internally cogged gear. Figs. 7 and 8 representrespectively, a side View and edge view of a supporting spider. Figs. 9`and 10 represent," respectively, a detail side'view and plan view tion,to thecrank. Fig, 11 represents a detail view of theel-ank and itssupport.

principle of Specification of Letters Patent. Application-filed April 1,1914. Serial N o. 828,669.

being but one of various` but may turn hooks Land the ofthe pitmen andtheir connec- Patented May d, 1915.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates an annularcasing-wall or flat cylinder, mounted upon a foot, 2, and having at itsedges annular flanges, 3, to which heads, 4, are bolted or otherwisesecured.

A rotary cylinder-frame, circular in outline, is composed ofdiametrically opposite, radial cylinders, 5, in the present instancefour, connected by webs, 6, between the cylinders, and by a circularrim, 7, through which the outer ends of the cylinder-bores open. Saidrim has a rotating Iit within the' casing-wall, and has peripheralgrooves, 8, in which annular packings, 9, fit. p

Annular grooves, 10, are formed in the rimaround the outer and annulargaskets, 1l, in saidl groovesare forced out against the wall of thecasing by springs, 12, or similar yielding means. A crank-shaft, 13, isjournaled in centra] bearings, 14, in the head of the casing, and has adouble crank, 15, within the latter. Spiders, 16, have their endssecured by bolts, 17, to the webs of the cylinder-frame, and havebearings, 18, at their lcenters rotatable lupon the crank-shaft andhaving said shaft rotatable within them.

Pistons, 19, are reciprocable in the bores l of the cylinders and havethe outer ends of pitmen, 20, pivoted withinthem, being of the shorttrunk-type.' The inner ends ofthe pitmen of two dlametrically oppositecylinders have bearing-notches, 2 1 engaging the pin, 22, of the crankfrom opposite sides, and a hook, man and has its'shank, 25, secured tothe opposite pitman, by bolts, 26, so that the ends of -theoppositejpitmen are held ,/withtheir bearing-notches upon the crank-pinupon said pin at different angles to each other, owing to the fact thatthe slots are curved on arcs ooncentricwithY the crank-pin. The pitmenof one pair are on oneside of the middle of the vcrank-pin and the otherpair of pitmen are on theother side lof such middle, so that the ends ofthe cylinders,

23, engages a slot,l 24, in one pitends of the several pairs will beside by side upon the pin. f

The casing-wall has a fuel-inlet, 27, for admission of gaseous fuel inone side, and a diametrically opposite exhaust-outlet, 28 for thespentgases in the opposite side,

angles to said openings. p

An igniter of any preferred form, -such as a spark-plug, 30, is insertedin the wall of the casing, slightly in advance of a point diametricallyopposite tol said scavenging outlet.

lTwo pinions,

31 are 'secured upon the crank-shaft, one at and,v a scavenging outlet,29, at a point at right All movable parts of the engine are in- "closedwithin the casing and lubrication of upper portion of one head andletting out 7o the lubricant through an ioutlet, 38, in thelower portionof the'other head, so that by suitable connection between such inlet andoutlet, not illustrated, lubricant can be circulated through the engineand keep all parts fully supplied.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employedfor the p ode herein explained. Change may there ore be each head of thecasing, and said pinions mesh with idler-pinions, 32, journaled uponstuds, 33, upon the inner sides of the heads of the casing, and saididlers mesh with pinions, 34, journaled upon studs, 35, upon the innersides of the heads and meshing with internally cogged annular gears, 36,secured within the overhangs of the rim ofthe cylinder-frame. Thepinions and idlers are of a diameter one-fourth of the internal diameterof the internally cogged rim, or the pinions and gear are of suchdimensions and gear that the internally cogged rim will be driven one\revolution during four revolutions ofthe crank-shaft and its pinions.

made as regards the' mechanism thus disL 80 closed provided theprinciplesfof construction set forth respectively in the followingclaims are employed.

Having thus described my invention what l claim as new and desire tosecure by lLet- 85 ters Patent, is A 1. In a rotary internal combustionengine, a cylindrical casing provided with an inlet and a diametricallyoppositeexhaust, a frame rotatable in said casing and formed 9c with aplurality of pairs of diametrically "opposite radiating cylindersvhaving open. outer ends successively 'registering with said inlet andexhaust, a crank-shaft journaled centrally in said casing and formedwith one 95 -ing the intake has and In practice, assuming the parts ofthe engine as being in the positions illustrated in 3,181111 thefuel,;the 'cylinder having its open end passstill is drawing fuel intoit by the piston moving inward.. rlhe charged cylinderopposite theAspark-plug in which the piston has been forced outward to compress thecharge, which is then exploded, has such compressed charge exploded,thus imparting rotary motion. to the crank-shaft. The next precedingcylinder has inthe mean time lregistered with the exhaust and theoutwardly moving piston in said cylinder has forced the spent gases outthrough the exhaust, and the vnext preceding cylinder has been'scavengedby the piston in the same` expelling remaining gases and thendrawing in fresh air, whereupon the cycle is again i repeated. As thecylinder frame makes one- -fourth of a revolution for each full revolu-`tion of the crank-shaft, each cylinder will be charged, compressed,fired, exhausted and s'cavenged-once-in each full revolution of thecylinder-frame. Asthe charging and exhausting of the cylinders isperformed'by successively bringing the outer open ends of thev cylindersto register with the intake, iiring device, all valvesl are dispensedwith, thus dispens-` ing with more or less complex valve-gear and theconsequent wear and liability of breakage or `displacement of smallmachine elements, rendering the engine simple and durable ofconstruction and operation.

inlet open and supplying exhaust and scavenging port,l

crank, pistons. in said cylinders. and connected to said crank, andgearing connected to said crank-shaft and lframe Ato impartrotaryinotion to the latter at a ratio of one revolution of said fame toa number of =rev lof) olutions of the crank-shaft equal to the number ofcylinders. c n

' 2. In a rotary internal combustion engine, a cylindrical casingprovided with an inlet,

an device, an exhaust diametrically opposite said inlet anda scavengingport at right angles to said inlet and exhaust; a frame rotatable in.said casing and having radiating cylinders formed with open outer 61.16Bsuccessively registering with said in- 11i let', igniting device exhaustand scavenging p ort; a crank-shaft- ]'ournaled centrally in said frameand casing and formed with one crank; pistons in said cylinders; pitmenconnected to, said F'pistons and the crank of llp the. shaft, andgearing connected to said crank-shaft and frame to im art rotary motionto the latter at aratio 6 one revolution fof the lframe to a number ofrevolutions of thecrank-shaft equal to the number of cylinders.

3. In a rotary internal combustionengine, a cylindrical casing havingheads and p rovided in its wall with'diametrically opposite inlet andexhaust, an ignitingv device and a scavenging port at right -anglesto-said 'inlet and exhaust, a frame rotatable within a said casing andprovided with packing rings and formed with radiating cylinders havingopen outer ends; pistons reciprocable in said 133 cylinders, acrank-shaft journaled in central meshing with the 'gears upon thecrankbearings in the heads of the casing, pt'men shaft and the annularinternally cogged connected to said pistons and the pin of gears.

said crank-shaft, annular internally cogged l JAMES F. LEVERING. gearsupon the sides of the cylinder-frame, Witnesses: gears upon thecrank-shaft, and gears jour- AJOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM,

naled upon the heads of the casing and N. BUSSINGER.

